An overview of the ISO's 2001-02 season
By Tom Aldridge
By April 2002, our stalwart but slightly shrinking Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra patronage--having endured the tragic time of stateside terrorism's tumult: tumbling towers and accelerating angst--began to tire of the organization's long extended gyrations to produce a newly defined and defining music director. It was in August of 1998 that ISO conductor laureate Raymond Leppard announced his decision to retire from what became his 14-year ISO music directorship at the end of the 2000-01 season. While the assessment process for the myriad guest conductors has been an interesting, occasionally fascinating interlude, the now nearly four-year span had become enervating for the players. In the words of one, they were "in dire need of a new boss."
Thus it seemed a relief to a majority of them that April 29 came, and with it the announcement of 53-year-old Swiss born Mario Venzago as the orchestra's music director designate. Venzago had made his first and only appearance here during the just-ended season, but he seems to have impressed not only the ISO conductor search committee but a majority of orchestra players as well. The descriptive term used in the press release was that Venzago was the "best fit" among the numerous auditioned podium guests. This can be translated as his best satisfying the salary-cap, availability, personality, extramusical and perhaps associated political implications viewed by the search committee as significant criteria--in addition to his assessed musical prowess.
Well, for me, he wasn't the best fit. Not based on what I heard him get from the players on the final weekend of last October and the first one of November: two programs featuring Ravel, Debussy, and Schumann. Venzago is a very interpretive conductor--meaning he not only sees beyond the printed score's notes, phrasing, and rhythmic pulse, but attempts to impart his vision to his players. If he communicates his concepts successfully, and they connect to those within earshot, the result can be musically meaningful and evoke an intense emotional response. I think, despite an ingratiating personal charisma, he failed to do that, getting--as a result--too much rough, insecure playing. Venzago's interpretive style needs more work with our players to get his "meaning" across than, say, Leppard's did. Two weekends with Venzago did not seem sufficient for these ears. But let's see what happens, not so much in this coming season, as Venzago only has four concerts scheduled, but in the following one. Then he'll be "in bed" with his players frequently enough to hopefully establish an ersatz "honeymoon." Then, I hope to have my first impression turned about (as Leppard would put it). NUVO will feature a full interview with Venzago--conducted the afternoon of April 29--in this September's Arts Guide issue.
Meanwhile, other podium guests seemed to jell musically right away with our players: the first, surprisingly, being violinist Itzhak Perlman. He appeared for the first time on the Hilbert Circle Theatre podium as guest conductor for the September 9 season-launching Gala. In his accessible program of Glinka, Saint-Saëns, Ravel and Tchaikovsky, he showed not only a remarkable command of these composers' interpretive elements but his ability to impart them completely to our very adaptable ISO performers. This happened in one of only two packed houses--in a season showing an average attendance clearly diminished from prior ones. The other was on September 29, when James Judd led soloists, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and the orchestra in a poorly conceived, badly executed account of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The disparity on either side of 9/11 was, if nothing else, ironic.
To mention a previously discussed issue now mostly resolved, the ISO has notably improved its pre-concert Words on Music. My host-of-choice has always been ISO cellist Geoffrey Lapin, and he has more or less assumed the lion’s share of these discussions and guest interviews, continuing his lively, easy-going approach to both. Douglas Dillon, ISO recording producer, engineer and announcer also steps in and hosts a well presented, well prepared Words. The same for ISO program annotator Marianne Tobias. These presentations have returned to the intimate Wood Room, after being tried in the Circle’s main hall the previous season. The only further improvement I’d like to see is more discussion of the scheduled music and its composer(s), with examples played--and fewer guest interviews, which can become tiresome (though less so than with previous Words on Music hosts).
A final note: The ISO’s return to Clowes Hall for its final three concerts was enlightening for both players and audience while the Circle stage is being revamped to improve its onstage acoustics. Remarked a player recently about performing at Clowes: “I'm having a much easier time hearing intonation on/across the stage.” A worthy goal to shoot for--and hopefully achieve--at the orchestra’s home venue.